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liberaquantobasta · 25 days ago

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Here is chapter 5 of my Fanfiction The Ceiling above Us.

[Chapter 1] - [Chapter 2] - [Chapter 3] - [Chapter 4]

The Ceiling Above Us

5. The Murder of Justice

Ainur'Len is trapped in a cage of pain and anger, unable to move. She does not need to, for her feet lift off the ground and she feels herself being pulled back into a tunnel of memories. But this time it is short, it lasts only a second, the light is close.

She is back in Arlathan, in the palace of the Evanuris. A huge throne covered in red velvet stands menacingly in front of her. Elgar'nan sits on it, the rest of the Evanuris at his side. Ainur'Len tries to make out the faces of the ancient gods. Perhaps the tall, thin, pale young elf with long black hair and ghostly eyes is Falon'din. Perhaps the silhouette with an impish smile curving his lips, blue eyes bright and cunning, is June.

Her assumptions are interrupted by Mythal's voice, she is the one who must have gathered them all there.

She begins to speak in a soft but firm tone.

"My dears. We must not turn our gaze from what is most important: our people."

The Evanuris exchange questioning glances. Elgar'nan stares at her with a bored look, his elbow resting on the arms of his throne, his face lazily cupped by a hand.

"Speak plainly, Mythal." he says, staring into her eyes. The ancient elf holds that gaze without a trace of fear.

"For centuries I have soothed your quarrels." She scolds him gently. Elgar'nan leans back in his chair, betraying a hint of embarrassment. "For centuries I have been reminding you of the right path for Elvhenan."

She glances at all her brothers, from Ghila'nain to Andruil, from Dirthamen to Sylaise. Then she smiles.

"And you followed." When she turns back to Elgar'nan, her expression is serious, her eyes stern. "I am asking you to do it again."

The eldest rises from his throne without taking his eyes off her. Silence envelops the vast hall. The air is heavy.

"I suppose your lapdog is still trying to get you to come back to him." He says quietly, approaching her. "I can almost hear his howls of joy at seeing you again," he walks around her, menacing, his eyes narrowed to two slits. Mythal follows him with her gaze, but does not turn her head when he stops behind her.

"Solas has raised a terrible doubt in me." She answers calmly. "But I did not believe him."

She feels Elgar'nan move closer until he towers over her.

"Then why do you scold us, Mythal?" His mouth is so close to his companion's ear that she can feel his breath on her skin.

"I did not believe him, but I had to investigate," she says carefully. "And what I discovered broke my heart, my brother." She holds out a hand and shows him a fragment of his orb, corrupted by red lyrium.

She hears him roar in rage behind her, he quickly turns to face her and moves closer until their faces are only a few inches apart. He struggles to control his anger, taking a deep breath.

"Mythal, do not..."

"What you are about to do will doom us all." she says firmly.

The entire pantheon of elves now surrounds her. She stands still, impassive in her icy gaze.

"It was you and your lapdog who created the Blight. You gave us this power."

"It is yours, sister. You only have to use it." "Mythal." "Be reasonable, Mythal." "It is not what it seems." "It can help our people be greater." "I will be able to create wonderful creatures." "Do not let Fen'harel manipulate you." "Mythal."

The elf closes her eyes.

"Enough!'" Her voice echoes through the hall. Silence creeps back between them. Mythal relaxes her gaze.

"I will not repeat myself. I trust your judgement, as I always have. I trust that you will listen to me."

"Or else?" Elgar'nan asks seriously. "What are you going to do, Mythal? Shall you join the Dread Wolf?" A hint of pain appears in his eyes.

She puts a hand to his face and shakes her head motherly, a smile on her lips.

"I know you will do what is right for our people, my beloved brother."

Elgar'nan closes his eyes and gives in to Mythal's touch. He squeezes her hand, sighs deeply and bows his head.

She continues to smile and then, as she must have done a thousand times before, turns towards the door, her back to her brothers and sisters, confident that she has given them something to think about.

She is not expecting the sharp pain that rips through her back. One hand grips her throat while the other sinks the lyrium dagger into her flesh. A deadly embrace.

"I cannot let you interfere this time, my love."

Elgar'nan's face is streaked with tears as he twists the knife in Mythal's back.

The goddess gasps, her hands clutching her brother's fingers as they squeeze her throat, holding back her last breath. She stares in disbelief as she feels her life slowly slipping away.

The scene melts like ice in the sun. Only a bright shard remains, glowing with Mythal's essence, abandoned in the midst of the darkness. Solas' agonising scream, exploding with pain, despair and hopelessness, is the last thing Ainur'Len hears before she falls backwards and finally loses consciousness.

"No!"

Aiunr'Len returns to the world with a scream. She jerks back, her forehead beaded with sweat, her heart in her throat and terror etched in her eyes. She looks around, gasping for breath, as if searching for a way out, until she meets Morrigan's yellow eyes.

The witch looks at her, her face tired. She rubs her forehead with a pained expression, as if showing Ainur'Len those memories had drained her of all energy.

Ainur'Len realises that she has finally returned to the world of the living. It feels as if centuries have passed her by.

Her head bursts. She cannot process all that she has learned, all that she has experienced. Thousands of years of suffering crush her chest.

"What... what happened next?" she can only mutter.

Morrigan lets herself fall back into her chair, exhausted.

"What you already know. Solas continued to lead the rebellion, but in anger and despair, until he was able to perform his ritual. But when you play with such powerful magic..."

"Something went wrong." Ainur'Len nods.

"Indeed. His intention was to seal the Evanuris and the Blight in a safe place. The veil was only meant to be their cage, but it ended up covering the entire sky and separating the Fade from the earthly world forever. Drained of all energy, he fell into a slumber, and when he awoke, he found a horrible world. His people slaughtered and enslaved, confined to alienages or hidden in the wilderness, robbed of their immortality and their deep connection to the Fade. Shadows of what they once were, worshipping false gods, tyrants who had taken everything from them. A world deeply flawed, to be erased. Until..." she smiles weakly, meeting the elf's gaze. "...he fell in love with a young Dalish girl with a witty mind and a compassionate heart who showed him that perhaps all was not lost."

Ainur'Len lowers her head. Her legs tremble.

"Solas..." she whispers in a hushed, heartbroken voice. She tries to bring order to her brain, overloaded with information and overflowing with conflicting emotions.

Solas was a Spirit of Wisdom. Her people are descended from spirits. Elves are responsible for the Blight. She falls to the ground, suddenly shaken by a chill that makes her head spin.

She throws up, trembling.

Deeply ashamed to show herself in such a state, she tries to recover, wiping her lips with the back of her hand as she slowly gets to her feet. She leans against the table so as not to fall again.

"How were you able to show me everything?" she asks, not making eye contact with the witch.

Despite her tiredness, Morrigan hides her sympathy behind her usual cold composure.

"These are fragments of Mythal's memories. I only showed you what you needed to see." she explains, finding strength in her own voice. "However..." she slowly points to the wolf statuette in Ainur'Len's pockets.

"Without it, I could not have shown you any of this. You would not have been able to see anything, for these are also memories of Solas that he wanted you to see." She pauses, not taking her eyes off the bowed head of the elf before her. "But I sense that there is still something in there - something meant only for you. That I cannot reach. No one else can."

Ainur'Len swallows hard, the horrible taste in her mouth haunting her. Not now. Now she does not have the strength to see anything else.

"This is not the time or the place." Morrigan reassures her, her tone suddenly softer. "You will know when it is."

The elf grits her teeth, doing her best not to lose control. Anger, pain, shame, horror, disgust. Love, compassion. Dozens of demons and spirits crowds her mind.

"How can you live with the weight of this knowledge, Morrigan? And how can you bear to carry Mythal inside you?"

The witch tilts her head slightly to one side, searching her friend with a questioning eye. She raises an eyebrow.

"You saw only a fragment of what was. Not enough to understand Mythal."

Ainur'Len clenches her fists hard enough to hurt.

"I have seen enough," she manages to reply, her voice a hiss.

"I made it clear that I only showed you what you needed in order to make Solas..."

"Solas is the only reason I'm still here, talking to the one who carries the monster that broke him." she interrupts, sharp as a freshly cut blade.

Morrigan flinches slightly, her gaze sharp.

"I am not her, Ainur'Len," she replies disappointed.

"I know, I'm sorry. I really am," the elf sighs, putting her hand to her face. "I've been an unforgivable bitch. I'm just really tired."

Morrigan remains silent for a long time, perhaps thinking about how ungrateful the elf before her is, or maybe she is just choosing her next words carefully.

"Solas and Mythal are both to blame for their mistakes, but I will not deny you what I think. What happened between them is a story of family, love, power and abuse. It is complex and millennia long."

She stands and approaches Ainur'Len with light steps.

"Solas' spirit is broken, his wisdom now clouded by pride. But even Mythal's spirit is not intact. Nor that of the other Evanuris, for that matter. How can the simplicity and purity of a spirit remain intact when it is confronted with the complexity of the range of human emotions? When their actions have real consequences for the world? How can they deal with it?"

"They can't."

"No. And that is why they break. I am surprised that someone as intelligent as Solas cannot dwell on this and let go of the deep regret that plagues him. He does not understand that it is not all his fault."

Ainur'Len does not have the strength to answer. She shakes her head and sighs loudly, as if to release the tension. She wishes she could sleep a billion years to recover, to have time to mourn Varric and to work out all she has learned in too few moments.

She is unaware that Morrigan is now standing before her, her usual enigmatic, mysterious gaze hiding all emotion.

"So what shall you do, Inquisitor?" She asks, her voice echoing like ancient music. "Will you be willing to let the veil rip, and unleash death and destruction upon your world? Or will you stop the Dread Wolf, no matter what the cost?"

Ainur'Len finally rises to her feet and raises her eyes to meet the witch's, who is only waiting for her answer.

"Neither, Morrigan. I have sworn to protect the world and save Solas from Fen'harel," she declares, her eyes clear of any doubt. "There is no other solution within me. I will do whatever it takes to help Solas redeem himself and stop him from destroying this world. At any cost."

Morrigan smiles, unable to hide the satisfied frown that lingers on her face.

"Very well," she nods. "Let us get back to work."

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rae-gar-targaryen · 5 years ago

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only as alone as i wanna be | [bh]

A/N: Well instead of working on my Peter Parker writing challenge fic, Billy Hargrove won’t leave my brain alone. So here we go.

I’ve retconned the Billy & Max relationship a bit for this, so it’s a lil au. Sorry!

Please let me know if you think I should continue!

Pairing: Billy Hargrove x fem!Reader (I’m still trying to get the hang of writing for the “reader.” Hopefully this is vague enough that you can imagine yourself. If not, send me feedback so I can get better!)

Warnings: Language. Passing, vague mentions of sex. Some Billy Hargrove chain-smoking. Bad writing with a jumpy plot. Seriously, I think I’m way too abrupt. Please send feedback. This one is probably doomed for a re-write.

Word Count: 2.4k of nonsensical, self-important musical references and haphazard, fleeting feelings.

Summary: The snarky record store girl does not like Billy Hargrove. Not at all.

**NOT MY GIF!**

—

Winter, 1984

The bell dinged above the door, a jarring interval between the wistful tones of Siouxsie and the Banshees’ Take Me Back. Prompting you to look up from your stack of records in mild annoyance. It had been such a productive day until now, and the vinyl wasn’t going to restock itself.

Well.

Had you known Mr. Born-In-The-USA-Bruce-Springsteen himself was going to walk in, you would’ve played something far less his taste than Siouxsie. Just to annoy him. Serves him right, right?

He paused in the doorway of the shop, wrinkling his nose almost imperceptibly as the sound hit his ears, before striding on toward the “Pop/Rock” section of the store, thumbing his way through Motley Crue’s latest.

Figures, you thought. A man who douses himself with as much commercial-ass hairspray and cologne would like some commercial-ass garbage “metal.” Besides, you’d walked past the blue Camaro enough times in the school parking lot to hear the dulcet tones of whatever bland-ass hair metal he was currently into trying its best to blast the doors off of his beloved metal steed.

You felt a twinge of guilt. You shouldn’t judge the customers for their musical taste so quickly– but between the old church ladies who came in for Handel’s Messiah or whatever they had heard over public radio that week, and the girls from your class riffing on Madonna, you had had just about enough.

Hadn’t anyone experienced the true depth of Queen? Keep Yourself Alive, man!

You had been working at Hawkins’ local record store during the summers since childhood – Old Mr. Cohen who owned the place used to let you sort tapes into piles for cents on the hour until you were old enough for a real job. Immersed in the music since a young age, you appreciated the breadth and depth the shop had to offer– your favorites developing into pieces heavy on synth. Bonus points if the lyrics made you feel especially existential. You loved that moody shit.

Now, at 17, you practically ran the place, Mr. Cohen comfortable with leaving you to your devices at the store, so long as the till was counted and inventory was properly stocked. You were grateful for the freedom– squeezing homework into slow nights and chatting about deeper portions of discography with regulars.

Billy Hargrove was not a regular. Neither did he promise a slow night, if the rumors amongst your female classmates were to be believed. Not that you partook in the Hawkins High rumor mill.

He was a recent, but obtrusive, arrival in your high school’s social scene. Mere months into his appearance in your town and the age-in-kind female population had seemingly lost their brain cells faster than inhaling their usual clouds of hairspray could do it for them.

Still, you had to admit, he was good-looking. The Springsteen comparison was apt. Billy Hargrove wore jeans like he was doing the denim a favor. His shirts usually two-thirds of the way unbuttoned, even in winter, which was not an unkind sight. His sun-kissed, California boy skin stood a stark contrast to the pallor of the Indiana natives you grew up with. His eyes were crystalline and swam like oceans of trouble and broken promises.

My god. You were a moody-ass bitch. Waxing poetic about this jock-strap of a human being who you’d heard pummelled Steve Harrington and nearly drowned himself in beer and barely-legal pussy. Come on, babe. Get it together.

He strode up to you at the counter, his boots clunking against the store’s tiled floor. Shout at the Devil was clutched in his fist.

He dropped the vinyl on the counter, eyes cast down and swiping a cigarette out of the packet in his jacket pocket and lighting up, the clink-thwip of his lighter meeting your ears before you could tell him to put it out.

“You can’t do that in here,” you told him.

He hummed in not-acknowledgment-acknowledgment, choosing to ignore you as he inhaled deeply.

“Seriously, dude. Old man Cohen hates that shit. Put it out or go outside and finish it. If your tits don’t freeze off. Since they’re, you know, halfway out of your shirt like that? You do know it’s December. In Indiana. Right?” You pressed, knowing full well you were being obnoxious. If only to make a point. Game recognize game, right?

He looked up, ocean eyes meeting your own. His frown was instantaneous.

“Fine,” he huffed. Before promptly stubbing out his cigarette on your freshly wiped counter, dropping the butt to the floor and twisting it under his booted heel.

“Ugh. Come on, man. I have to clean that now.”

“You were so adamant about it before.”

“Whatever man. Just the Motley Crue for you today?” You pressed. Why is he prolonging this interaction?

He rolled his eyes, his line of sight catching on the promotional sign above the counter.

“Well, now, that says new vinyl is two for one. Which one can I get with this?”

You dropped your head and exhaled deeply– So this was how this evening was going to go. You gestured at the New Release wall to the left of the front counter.

“Anything from here, Pretty Boy. New vinyl.”

Cool as you please, if you please.

Billy glanced at you, sensing your annoyance. A smirk graced his lips. He knew if he prolonged this interaction it would surely get a rise out of you.

He held up Burning From the Inside, Bauhaus’s latest release. New, but not new.

“What about this one? Cover art is alright.” He gestured at the gothica aesthetic adorning the front jacket.

“That’s Bauhaus,” you informed him, as though that would explain everything.

“Bauhaus? What is that?”

You snorted.

“No, seriously. What is that? Is that like … a sex thing?” he asked, derisively.

“It’s not a sex thing. It’s more of a not-your-kind-of-thing thing,” you stated primly.

“And how would you know what my thing is, princess? I’m guessing by the black-on-black and torn fishnets you’d be all to familiar with whatever a Bauhaus is,” he retorted.

“Well….” You went to the used pile and grabbed Press Eject and Give Me the Tape, before putting it over the speakers. As Bela Lugosi’s Dead started to play throughout the store, Billy looked unamused.

“They broke up last year. Gone too soon,” you explained, wistfully. You put your hand over your heart as though in mourning.

He leaned one arm on the counter, Motley Crue seemingly long forgotten.

“So, what is this song?”

“Bela Lugosi’s Dead? Like, Stairway to Heaven, but for goths, I guess,” you reasoned. “I’m guessing you’re more of a Scorpions kind of guy? We have Love At First Sting,” you gestured vaguely toward the wall.

Billy quirked an eyebrow at you.

“And how would you know what kind of guy I am, princess?” His voice lowering as he leans even further over the counter.

“Um. If the female population at our school is to be believed? Well, you get it…” you trailed off. “Plus, I don’t know, have you looked in a mirror lately? Scratch that. You probably don’t stop looking in mirrors. Should I cover the reflective surfaces in the store, lest you get distracted?”

Billy at least had the decency to look shocked at your barb.

But not before recovering quickly.

“Maybe you just cover the reflective surfaces in here to hide the fact that you don’t have a reflection,” he quipped.

You were stunned. Your eyes widened.

“Was that a– vampire joke, Hargrove?”

Billy shrugged. “Well, If the post-punk bullshit shoe fits… I mean, what even is playing over the speakers right now? I’m in here enough to know Cohen lets his employees pick the music from the Used pile during their shifts. Though clearly I don’t come in often enough during your shifts.”

“Thank God for that,” you sighed.

Deciding he’d had enough of the banter, Billy snagged Black Flag’s latest off of the New Release wall.

“Two for one, right?” he snarked, slapping down enough cash for one album before grabbing his findings off of the counter and striding out into the wintery evening– the bell over the door clanging after him for good measure. Like an exclamation point on whatever the ever loving fuck that conversation was. Did you— offend him??

You decided, sweeping up the not-forgotten ash from his cigarette off the floor that you didn’t ever need to have an interaction with Billy Hargrove again. You were most decidedly not post-punk bullshit.

–

Billy Hargrove had never been so ruffled in all of his life.

Throwing the two vinyl sleeves down in the passenger seat of his beloved Camaro, he slammed the door behind him.

Clink-Thwip.

Billy lit up, the chemical rush of his deep inhale-exhale instantly soothing his frazzled nerves.

He flicked the lid of his lighter a few more times, for good measure. A nervous habit. Clink-Thunk. Clink-Thunk. Clink-Thunk.

“ ‘Never stop looking in a mirror,’ my ass,” he grumbled, meeting his eyes in the rear-view before realizing what he was doing and looking away.

He’d seen that girl before. She sat alone in the cafeteria most times, headphones on, reading a book. She seemed like the type to enjoy Slyvia Plath. Not that he knew enough about Slyvia Plath to really know what that type of girl was. He swore his mom owned a coverworn copy of some novel or another with that name on it.

He drove away, tires squealing behind him, hair metal blasting from his speakers. Okay, so maybe you’d been right about his musical taste. It’s not like he’d give you the satisfaction. Besides, he’d bought BLACK FLAG, for Christ’s sake. You didn’t know him.

But still, he couldn’t deny, there was something about your demeanor. Your witticism. Your bad type. And yeah, maybe he’d sneaked a peek at your ass when you came around from the counter to scold him for smoking. Sue him, he was only human.

He knew there was more to you. A sweet undertone– like peaches and cream. Also maybe he liked ruffling your proverbial feathers. Just maybe.

He had asked Tommy about you at school the next day.

Tommy shrugged, but not before looking over at the corner of the cafeteria where you sat.

“I don’t know man. She’s hot. But, like, in the way weird girls are hot. You can look, but touching may cost you.”

Billy didn’t know what that meant. But Tommy was literally too stupid to insult. So he bit back a comment effectuating that he didn’t care and slammed the rest of his can of Coke.

–

You had seen him before. From his tire-squealing entry into your town, you were certain you’d had him pegged from Jump Street. The chain-smoking, that infernal clink-twhip of his American Flag lighter. The keg stands. The raucous screaming in Steve Harrington’s face.

“Plant your feet, Harrington!”

Plant your feet indeed. Lest you be bowled over with unwanted, obtrusive thoughts of the potential depths of Billy Hargrove’s soul. If such a thing existed.

Seriously, though. Why would he buy a Black Flag album? If there was one thing Billy Hargrove was not, you decided, it was punk rock.

You’d seen him take his sister to the arcade, and wait for her after school. Was it brotherly affection that motivated these little Babysitter’s Club moments, or was he forced to? Still, you saw the way that girl on the skateboard looked up at her seemingly cool older brother. Like he hung the stars.

He did brush off Tina after the basketball game last week. And, he bought Black Flag. That man had never listened to Black Flag in all of his life. You were sure of it.

Could he really be all bad?

–

The semester pressed on. Billy Hargrove at the fringe of your thoughts and your eye-line. Was he trying to talk to you in school?

You had the closing shift at the store again on Saturday. You were in the midst of carrying a box of tapes up the stairs from the storage room when you heard the ding of the bell above the door. You sighed, put the box down, and made your way toward the front to greet the customer. Upon seeing the back of Billy Hargrove’s perfectly coiffed, curly head, you were ready to turn back around and act like you hadn’t seen him. Too late. He clearly knew you were working.

“Please don’t let it be you,” you groaned.

“No promises, dollface.”

You stood in front of him, hands on your hips.

“So? What can I do for you?”

Billy smirked. “I can think of a few things, sweetheart,” he drawled, quirking a perfectly arched brow just so. You hated that you now noticed these things about Billy Hargrove’s perfectly stupid and stupidly perfect face.

“I don’t have time for this, Pretty Boy.”

“When are you off?” He asked.

“After close,” you said.

“Go out with me.” Billy Hargrove said, now surely unsure of himself.

“And why in the ever-loving-fuck would I do that?” You had to hand it to yourself. You were doing a damn good job of looking like you didn’t care. Meanwhile, your insides were pudding and you were just sure he knew it, too.

“Because you want to. Because I want you to. Because– Because I want to. Because I listened to Black Flag. Because I get your whole thing, plaid skirt and all,” he stated, gesturing vaguely over your person.

You rolled your eyes, choosing not to answer him. Instead, you diverted. Diversion is good, right?

“Where’s your usual crowd of hairsprayed hangers-on? Or are you always alone after school?”

“Only as alone as I wanna be, doll,” He drawled.

You’d had to hand it to Billy Hargrove. He could definitely turn a phrase when he wanted to. His crystalline eyes could definitely see right through you. As the flush travelled through your body, taking in his artful smirk and powerful visage, you knew:

Billy Hargrove was going to be the death of you. Like the satisfyingly sweet pour of languid waves of syrup cascading over waffles, drowning you in a beautiful, thick avalanche of a saccharine dream. A powdered sugar kiss dusting over your better senses, coating them in the flush of dripping endearment.

Surely you could be alone together? The crystal ball and the odyssey.

Would you go?

tagging bc you inspire me:

@nappingtopknot @ayeayecaptaingally @hey-its-grey @tigerlilynoh @andallthatmishigas @oh-star-how-the-mighty-fall @youngmoneymilla @noturjacky (If you don’t want to be tagged, feel free to ignore, or tell me firmly -- but possibly politely?? to fuck off)

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